Interaction of audio, video, effects and architectural lighting with bowling scoring system and methods of use

Abstract

An interactive bowling system using scoring systems and/or other computer infrastructures which interact with visual and/or audio effects within the bowling center. The system includes a management system having stored therein instructions to provide special effects associated with one or more events to one or more special effects components. Upon an occurrence of an event, the management system: determines that the occurrence of the event is associated with one or more special effects; and provides the instructions to the one or more special effects components to effectuate the special effects associated with the one or more events.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bowling center management system comprising:
 a projector; 
 a memory and a processing device; and 
 a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processing device, the non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to:
 display content on at least one bowling pin by:
 receiving an image of the at least one bowling pin; 
 adding one or more graphics to the received image; and 
 projecting, by the projector, the received image and the one or more added graphics on the at least one bowling pin. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , wherein the projector is a video projector. 
     
     
       3. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a camera, wherein the one or more programming instructions that cause the processing device to receive the image of the at least one bowling pin comprise programming instructions that cause the processing device to scan, by the camera, the image of the at least one bowling pin. 
     
     
       4. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pin-detection system, wherein:
 the one or more programming instructions further cause the processing device to: 
 receive, from the pin-detection system, an indication of which bowling pins are still standing; and 
 select the one or more graphics to be added to the received image based on the indication. 
 
     
     
       5. The bowling center management system of  claim 4 , wherein the pin-detection system comprises a traditional pinsetter, a string pinsetter, or an optical sensor. 
     
     
       6. The bowling center management system of  claim 4 , wherein the projector includes an adjustable focus, and the one or more programming instructions further cause the processing device to adjust the focus based on the displayed content or based on the indication of which bowling pins are still standing. 
     
     
       7. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more graphics include a target representing a strike location. 
     
     
       8. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more graphics include specifically colored pins or combinations of pins. 
     
     
       9. The bowling center management system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more programming instructions that further cause the cause the processing device to, in response to one or more specifically colored pins being knocked down, triggering one or more special effects. 
     
     
       10. The bowling center management system of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more special effects includes a confetti effect. 
     
     
       11. The bowling center management system of  claim 8 , further comprising a redemption system configured to deliver a prize in response to one or more specifically colored pins being knocked down. 
     
     
       12. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , further comprising an audio playback system, wherein the one or more programming instructions further cause the processing device to output, via the audio playback system, an audio track. 
     
     
       13. The bowling center management system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the one or more graphics comprise video content; and 
 the one or more programming instructions that cause the processing device to output the audio track comprise instructions that cause the processing device to synchronize the video content and the audio track. 
 
     
     
       14. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a ball-tracking system, wherein the one or more programming instructions further cause the processing device to, in response to detecting, by the ball-tracking system, that a ball is returning on a ball-return track, display second content on the ball-return track or on a ball return. 
     
     
       15. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more graphics includes a picture of a bowler. 
     
     
       16. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more programming instructions that cause the processing device to display the content on the at least one bowling pin, comprise instructions configured to, in response to detecting that it is a turn of a bowler to bowl, cause the processing device to display a score of the bowler. 
     
     
       17. The bowling center management system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more programming instructions further cause the processing device to, in response to detecting that it is the turn of the bowler to bowl, trigger one or more special effects. 
     
     
       18. The bowling center management system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more tracking tags configured to be worn by a bowler; and 
 one or more readers configured to track a location of the bowler within a bowling center. 
 
     
     
       19. The bowling center management system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more programming instructions that cause the processing device to display the content on the at least one bowling pin comprise programming instructions that cause the processing device to select the one or more graphics to be added to the received image based on the location of the bowler.